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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · kid · fan · wind · bore · plane · mine · charge

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. charge — in control
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kid — child
  16. wind — moving air
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com